Wilhelm keuffel



(No Model.)

W. KEUPFEL.

STRETOHER FRAME.

No. 307,203. Patented Oct. 28, 1884.

WITNESSES /%Mf. @W

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILHELM KEUFFEL, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

STRETCHER-FRAM E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 307,203, dated October 28, 1884.

Application filed May 5, 1s e4. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILHELM KEUFFEL, of Hoboken, in the county of" Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stretcher- Frames, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved stretcher-frame for mounting pictures and other articles; and it consists of a stretcherframe made in four pieces, each piece being beveled at both sides, and provided at each end with a tongue and with a groove adjoining said tongue.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1- represents a front elevation of a stretcherframe shown partly mounted. Fig. 2 is a detail side view of one of the strips of the frame. Figs. 3 and 4 are top and bottom views of said strip, and Fig. 5 is an end view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My improved stretcher-frame is made'of four strips, or a, each of which is made beveled at both sides from the outer thicker toward the inner thinner edge, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Each piece a is provided at both ends with a projecting tongue, 12, a groove, 12, adjoining said tongue, and shoulders 12 b, cut ata miter, one shoulder being located adjoining the tongue I), the other next adjoining the groove 11. From different lengths of strips a made in this manner stretcher-frames of any desired size, either square or oblong, can be readily made up. v

' Stretcher-frames were heretofore made of two pairs of strips, one pair having tongues at both ends, the other pair having grooves at both ends, which interlock with the tongues ofthefirstpairofstrips. Each sizeofstretcherframe requires, therefore, two corresponding sizes of pairs of strips, which had to be kept in stock to make up that size.

In another construction of stretcher-frames heretofore in use the frame'was composed of four strips, each strip having a tongue at one end and a groove at the other end. This con struction requires a smaller quantity of strips to be kept in stock than the stretcher-frame just described, and facilitates the making up of different sizes of frames from the same; but the strips have to be used in pairs and cannot be employed indiscriminately for either side of the frame, as the strips are beveled at one side only, to which the covering is applied.

In my improved construction of stretcherframes all the strips are beveled at both sides, and provided with a tongue and a groove adjoining thereto at each end. This enables me to use each strip indiscriminately for any side of the frame to be made up therefrom. By making up, for instance, a stock of twenty different sizes of strips, four strips to each size, two hundred and ten different combinations of said strips, and consequently two hundred and ten different sizes of frames, can be made up. In other words. a stock of eighty strips in twenty sizes enables any dealer or artist to make up twenty frames of any possible size that may be required within the range of the largest and smallest size of strips.

, In making up a stretcher-frame, two strips of one size and two strips of another size, according to the size of the frame required, are joined together at their ends, after which the paper or other fabric is mounted thereon,

which is finally stretched taut by the usual 1 wedge-keys, d d, that are driven along the tongues b into the'recesses b, so as to rigidly lock the strips together.

Having thus described my invention. I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. A strip for a stretcher-frame, being beveled at both sides, and provided at both ends with a tongue, a groove adjoining said tongue, and mitered shoulders adjoining, respectively, to tongue and groove, substantially as set forth. 2. A stretcher-frame composed of four strips, each being beveled at both sides, and provided at both ends with a tongue, a groove adjoining said tongue, and mitered shoulders, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILHELM KEUFFEL.

Witnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, CARL KARP. 

